Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Timberwolf Trail - Week 26 - 2016-17 Edition

Just about forty degrees and a slight drizzle. A perfect day for planting pines. Well, maybe not perfect, but with all the labor we did, it worked out just fine.

Every 4th grader in Wisconsin is eligible to get a free tree from the Department of Natural Resources. My 4th grade cohorts made the best of this opportunity and graciously donated nearly one hundred trees for our class to plant

We went through a quick tree training course, reviewed the needs of the tree, and modeled how we could plan the trees using some tools, dirt, and compost. The class worked in pairs or trios to plant a few trees. Then, one of the 4th grade cases joined us and it was up to the kindergartners to train them on how to plant trees in a new area.

Though we got a little wet and chilly, the excitement and action took over and we all worked together to add nearly one hundred white pines to our land. While many of these young trees may not survive to maturity, the learning was in the experience . . . and we learned a great deal.

On the way back inside, I quickly snapped a picture of our impromptu decomposition lesson. With the weather being very refrigerator-like over the last week, not much has changed. The weather is looking milder over the next week, so maybe just maybe our furry friend will look a little different next week.